Galaxy S26 series reportedly getting a price hike of around $50, late February launch

Ben Schoon | Jan 5 2026 - 9:25 am PT

According to new reports out of Korea, Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 series is set to see a price hike of at least $50 on each model.

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series is not expected to be a major upgrade, largely because of cost-cutting measures that were inspired by the iPhone 17 lineup’s pricing.

But, amid “skyrocketing” component pricing, FNNews reports (via @Jukanlosreve) that a price hike for the entire Galaxy S26 series is all but guaranteed. Specifically, the report mentions that Samsung is looking at a price hike of “44,000 won to 88,000 won” which comes out to $30 to $50. This would be specifically on the 256GB models, which have become the base models across the lineup. It would mark the first price hike since 2023.

What remains unclear is how this would translate around the globe, as Samsung has upped prices in some regions without doing so in others, particularly in the US. With the iPhone 17 pricing focus in mind, it seems likely enough that Samsung won’t change the price in the US market, as the report directly brings out (translated):

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This will be the first time in three years since 2023 that the price of the Galaxy S series will increase. Unlike the ‘Galaxy S24’, which maintained the price of only the regular and Plus models, the prices of all Galaxy S25 models have been frozen.

However, Samsung Electronics is considering setting the release prices in major countries, such as the US, the same as the previous model to promote global sales.

The report further notes that Samsung is looking at February 25 as a launch date for the Galaxy S26 series, a date we’ve heard in passing before. The actual release date would then come in March.